Pebble Beach Food & Wine culinary fans eat it up

Correction: Rob Weakley's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.

United by food and brought together with wine, foodies from far and wide found a home on the Peninsula over the weekend.

The Pebble Beach Food & Wine event concluded its sixth year Sunday with its biggest crowd to date and an optimistic view of the future from its organizers.

Eight-thousand attendees paid hundreds of dollars to hobnob with celebrity chefs, indulge in the finest food and sample a variety of alcohol over the four-day event.

The clang of wine glasses, sizzling food and pop music boomed through the Equestrian Center as founders David Bernahl and Rob Weakley spoke of the future.

"I think it just continues to grow," Weakley said. "Its been six years now and we've gone from 4,000 (in 2008) to 8,000 people. We just want to make it an amazing thing for California and for Monterey."

Weakley and Bernahl said they want to keep the event's capacity at 8,000 in order to keep "a level of intimacy."

They declined to say how much money the event made, only that it brought "tens of millions" of dollars to the area.

"It's not just about throwing a party here," Bernahl said. "... We want to have the thought leaders in the industry here to talk about the advancement of food, build on the trade program, make this an epicenter for how our industry can grow and expand."

The event is a boon for local businesses and hotels. Package deals for the Inn at Spanish Bay, from $750 to $950 a night, were offered with event tickets and county wine growers were given some of the best spots in the center.

"It's huge," said Stefani Chaney, the director of hospitality at Scheid Vineyards in Salinas, about the impact on business.

Chaney said the winery has been at the event every year and benefits from all the visitors from "a higher demographic."

By most accounts, the function has always run well, but it seemed like this year it was pushing the envelope.

"The event is getting more creative," said Adam Olthof, a wine service employee on his sixth year there.

Some of the events brought celebrity chefs together, many of whom who would not have had the opportunity to work together, Bernahl said.

Despite the cost, which ranged from $100 wine tastings and a $995 bundle package to a $6,000 "Founders' Dinner," attendees said it was worth it.

Elenor Gutierrez of Prunedale said she has gone to the event for five years and she and her husband think it's a bargain.

"We could never cook this food ourselves or afford it," she said. "But here you can have it all."

First-time attendees Nancy and Ryan De Guzman, of San Bruno, said they decided to spend Sunday at the event after reading about it in the San Francisco Chronicle.